Review: Keeping Never - C.M. Stunich

Keeping Never - C.M. Stunich

♥♥♥♥

Keeping Never is the 3rd book in the trilogy "Never Say Never". What a great trilogy it was, at that. In the first Novel, you hear about Never's back story. In the second novel, you get more insight into Never, and you start hearing about Ty's back story. In this novel, you get FULL disclosure on Ty's past. 

First off, I love Ty and Never. They're so blunt, honest and beautifully broken. Being broken only means you need to be fixed. Ty is the glue that holds Never together and Never is the heart in Ty's soul. I'm seriously addicted to the tortured couple scene. 

I was in love with Ty McCabe before, but now? Now I'm head over heals infatuated with him. If he was a real person, I mean straight stalker status. I know I've said this time and time again... but Ty will go down in my TOP 5 Best Book Boyfriends EVER. And by ever, I mean I'm pretty sure he'll ever be replaced by anyone. Ty is so many things. He is tortured, Obnoxious, Unfiltered, but he is also passionate, caring, understanding and loving. 

Never is just her usual basket case of messed up. Ty holds her together, keeps her strong.  As she is battling harder than ever with inner thoughts, Ty is working harder than ever to keep her safe. Just to plain old keep her. In this novel, Never is going to face the ghosts of her past. Nothing could be harder than facing everything that ruined you. 

If you haven't started this series yet, I strongly recommend that you do. I won't promise you'll love it, because everyone has different taste. However, This series is amazing.  Definitely worth looking into. 

C.M Stunich You are beautiful and amazing. Don't ever change! Oh, and I love your filthy mouth! Your writing is out of this world and should never be under-rated. The Tasting Never series was simply flawless. You've made this series come full circle. I can't wait to read your other novels, especially your new one, [Paint Me Beautiful]

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

The Evolution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

♥♥♥♥♥

Well...... MIND BLOWN. 

"There will come a moment when there's nothing you want more than us. Together. When you're free of every fear and there is nothing in our way."

"I would rather die with the taste of you on my tongue than live and never touch you again. I'm in love with you, Mara. I love you. No matter what you do."

If those two quotes don't make you immediately want to go out and buy this book, I CAN'T even deal. I LOVED The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. To say that the "sequel" in this series is a filler, would be a out and out lie. This book seriously keeps you guessing from the first page to the very last. Let me start off with this, if you thought that the first one shook you, be prepared for this one! 

Michelle Hodkin delivers a hauntingly beautiful read, again. I swear every time I said alright, last chapter then its bed time... a new and startling revelation happened and I COULDN'T put this down. I honestly feel dumb-founded right now. I'm so in awe of how much work that Michelle had to put into this series. The descriptions, the research, the crazy un-explainable story line. 

I was completely psychologically baffled. One chapter I thought Mara was crazy insane. The next I thought she was completely sane. The support characters in this novel were absolutely amazing. Jamie with his quick witty banter, and his absolute confidence in Mara. Then there is Noah... with his unconditional love and complete devoted faith in Mara. Boy do I love that overly pretentious cocky bastard! My heart raced with anticipation so many times during this book. 

Well as all amazing books end, Hello Cliffhanger. This one... made me want to cry. I stared at the page.. Flipped to the next. Flipped back. I couldn't believe it! Of all things!? THANK god this is a trilogy, because I don't think I could deal with this being final. All in all, the romance was stunning and the creep factor was crazy out of this world! Honestly, Michelle Hodkin took psychological thriller to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL with this series. I can't wait to see what the final installment has in store for us! 

~ Beth

ARC Review: On Every Street by Karina Halle

Title: On Every Street
Published: March 12th, 2013
Author: Karina Halle
Pages: 100+
Rating: 5/5 stars

I was given an ARC of On Every Street by the author for an honest review. This is no way influenced my review. This review is spoiler free.

On Every Street is a prequel to Sins & Needles, but you can read it before or after Sins & Needles. Or you can read it as a standalone, but I strongly suggest reading Sins & Needles simply because it's amazing.

Ellie Watt has never had a stable life. She is the daughter of two con artists who abandoned her long ago, after a drug lord ruined her leg. Now she's out for revenge. She changes her name to Eden White and sets her sights on someone close to Travis, the drug lord. Javier Bernal is beautiful, dangerous, and absolutely irresistible to Ellie. As she finds herself falling for Javier she begins to question if love is stronger than her need for vengeance.

“When I choose Javier as my mark, I never thought my mark would choose me. Because that's what Javier had just done. I wanted to win over his heart so I could get what I wanted. But I had a feeling he was about to get to my heart first.”
Karina Halle's writing is like a drug. Dangerous, destructive, and absolutely addictive. After finishing On Every Street I need another hit. Sometimes knowing how a story is going to end softens the blow a bit, but this was not the case for On Every Street. Although this is a novella, it doesn't read like one. It has as much substance as many full length novels I've read. This book started a war between my head and my heart. I knew I shouldn't fall for Javier, but much like Ellie my heart didn't care.

“I want to do more than survive. I want to live.”

Ellie is a character I already loved. She grew on me when I read Sins & Needles and I liked seeing a different side of her. Her chemistry and attraction to Javier is so strong it's begins to take on a life of it's own, becoming this almost tangible force that has complete control over her. I was reminded of how quickly love can make us forget the path we have laid out in front of ourselves.

“You are all mine, even if you run. I will find you because a soul needs its other half to truly live.”

Javier is so much more than I expected. I have a weak spot for the bad boys[don't we all?], so I knew I would have a Javier crush. I didn't think I would feel so strongly for his character. I was terrified and excited by his fierceness[RAWR!], but what really won me over was his soft side he reserved only for Ellie/Eden. There's something so sexy about a man who can protect you, but when that man can also express his feelings it's like the total package[minus the whole drug cartel business]. Javier is one of the most loveable bad boys I've come across.

“It's funny what love can do to a person. It strips them of everything, even their instincts. It creates a new world for you to adhere to, a new world where you break the rules just to keep the love intact.”
At the end of the book, the very last page, I just stared at the blankness for a minute. I had to digest what I read, and let my raging emotions simmer back to normal. I finished On Every Street with a heart that was a little heavier and eyes that were a lot redder. I am having serious withdrawals from Ellie and Javier already. I can't wait for Shooting Scars, the second book in the series.

-Kait

ARC Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To [Pushing The Limits #2]
Published: June 7th, 2013
Author: Katie McGarry
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5 stars
From Goodreads:
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

-----------------

“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me.

"You won't let me go."

"No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
After a run in with the police, while saving her drunk, deadbeat mother, Beth is forced to live with her uncle. To add insult to injury, her uncle has the local jock, Ryan[who was just hitting on her last week] to help her at school. Beth thinks she has Ryan figured out, but she soon realizes that Ryan's life isn't as perfect as she thought.


Pushing the Limits, one of my favorite YA contemporary novels, introduced me to a number of amazing characters. One of those characters was Beth, a tough as nails girl with an I don't give a shit attitude. When I heard that she was getting her own story I was beyond excited. When I got approved for an advanced copy I did my happy dance[which is a pretty tragic sight].

Dare You To picks up some time after Pushing the Limits. It's not necessary to read PTL before starting Beth's story, but I would suggest it because it's an amazing book and it you get a great introduction to the characters. Dare You To is told in alternating point of view, which I know a lot of people have an issue with, but Katie McGarry does an amazing job with it.

“A sliver of hope sneaks past my walls and I slam every opening shut. Emotion is evil. People who make me feel are worse. I take comfort in the stone inside me. If I don't feel, I don't hurt.”

Beth's transformation was amazing. It was truly a caterpillar to a butterfly type of story. She really figures out who she is and who she wants to be, but not without a few stumbles along the way. Learning more about Beth, her upbringing, and everything that happened to her was heartbreaking. I wanted to slap her mom more than once.

“I like you. I. Like. You. I'll admit you're annoying. Sometimes you agitate me to the brink of insanity, but you can throw it back at me like no one else. When you laugh, I want to laugh. When you smile, I want to smile. Hell, I want to be the one to make you smile.”

After reading the synopsis I was confused. I had hoped for a Beth/Isaiah story, so I started this book a little weary. That didn't last long. Ryan is the kind of guy you love fully. After twenty pages I was thinking that maybe Isaiah isn't so right for Beth, then maybe this Ryan guy is the one, and finally RYAN! He absolutely captured my heart with the way he fought for Beth. His own family struggles made me so sad, I just couldn't stand the way his father acted.

“I'd love to kiss her right now. Not the type of kiss that makes her body come alive. The type of kiss that shows her how much I care - the type that involves my soul.”
Overall this book was amazing. I was drawn in to the story and couldn't stop reading it until I was finished. I loved how Noah and Echo were worked into the story in a way that wasn't intrusive to Beth and Ryan, but was still enough for me to know that they were still together. Oh, and there's going to be a third book for Isaiah's story called Crash Into You[that definitely sounds like Isaiah]!

I will definitely be buying this book as soon as it comes out. All you lovers of a good heart wrenching contemporary should pick it up too.


-Kait

Dual Review: Sins & Needles - Karina Halle

YA Vixens DUAL Review

Sins & Needles - Karina Halle

 

Kait's 5 Star Review

Ellie is on the run, again. After screwing over the wrong guy she decides the safest place to hide is under the only name she hasn't used to scam someone, her real name. She heads back to the place she grew up to visit her uncle, and to figure out a plan. Then Ellie runs into Camden McQueen. It's been years since they last spoke, and the last thing Ellie expected was for things to get complicated with him.

“I took the application from him, our fingers brushing against each other. I felt a spark, electricity.

No, literally.

“Ow,” I said, as I snatched my hand and the application away from him.

He grinned sheepishly and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry. I'm a good conductor.”

And that's just the beginning. When Ellie sets her sights on conning Camden things don't go as planned. Camden has her figured out and now he's making her an offer she has to accept. But when Ellie's past comes back to haunt her they have to trust each other to get away alive.

Sins & Needles is an absolutely stunning book. I know a book is good when I get to that last page and I scream “No!”. And I was yelling more than just that one time. The storyline never slowed, and the heat between Ellie and Camden could melt the panties off a prude. My favorite part was the twist that completely blindsided me. I was reading along, enjoying the sexy tension and then BAM! I was hit with the twist. I can hardly explain my love for this book, but I will try.

Karina Halle created characters flawed and fucked up, but she somehow made them loveable too. In a typical novel the male would be the “bad guy”, but this book switches it up. The chemistry, holy balls of fire was there chemistry, between Ellie and Camden had me drooling and panting[quite the image, huh?]. And this isn't the kind of tension and teasing with no pay off, there is pay off. So much amazing pay off... I can get lost just thinking about it again.

“That is what I thought of you, Ellie. Heartless, reckless, selfish, and cruel."
He was back to shooting me when my armor was down. I turned my face away from him, not wanting to let him see the hurt in my eyes. He reached up and put his fingers under my chin, bringing my face forward again, forcing me to look at him.
"Beautiful, sad, wounded, and lost," he continued. "A freak, a work of art, a liar, and a lover."
His gaze was starting to eat away at my insides. Razor-blade butterflies whirled in my heart.
"I hate you, Ellie Watt," he whispered, lips coming closer to mine, "because I still love you after all these years.”

Ellie is the product of her parents, two grifters who care more about the chase than their own daughter. With the life she's lived it's hard not to understand how she could become so jaded. I'm sure there are some who might think the stuff Ellie does is inexcusable, and at some points it was, but I still loved her. I have said it a million times, I am a sucker for a flawed character, and Ellie is so wonderfully flawed.

“That's the trouble with pain, Ellie. If you're lucky, you can wear it for all the world to see. Most people have their pain deep inside, in places no one ever goes. Not until it's too late.”

Camden... I don't even know where to begin with him. From the moment Ellie laid eyes on him in the coffee shop I was sold. I have a things for wounded boys, especially the ones with tattoos. His passion left my breath hitching and my heart trying to break free of my chest. He will go down as one of my all time favorite book boyfriends.

All of this, plus an amazing storyline, make for one of the best books I've read this year. I was shocked more than once, cried more than once, and fell in love completely. And that cliffhanger ending was one of the best/worst. This book earned every one of the five stars. I am not so patiently waiting for the next book in the series. 

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Beth's  ♥♥♥♥  review 
  

 I'm so glad that a fellow bookish friend of mine gifted this book to me, because she was absolutely RAVING about it. [THANK YOU Megan @ The Book Asylum!!]  I actually  didn't get to it right away, cause I was reading god knows what. Then I met Megan at the Pitch Dark Days tour, and she asked if I read it, and I [ashamed] said that I hadn't started it. So then Kait baught it on her Nook since it's on sale right now. So I figured Let's do a dual review!

Ellie grew up with Con Artist parents, also know as Grifters. As a kid, her parents would use her on their scams. Until the one scam that went wrong... severely hurting Ellie. After that, they went to Ellie's uncle's house and decided to go on the 'straight and narrow'. Soon enough, Ellie's parents left her with her uncle and continued grifting. At 19 she seeks revenge on the man that hurt her so badly. So she heads out on her own cons. After being on the run for so long, At the age of 26, Ellie decides to head back home. When at home she runs into Camden. Well, this is when the story REALLY happens. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book... However I was NOT prepared for what happened! I thought it was gonna be a sexy story about a con artist who scams a former friend. Hahah! Fooled was I. That's not even a smidgen of the stress that goes on! WOW. just WOW. seriously. I'm not sure I can say wow enough times. I was completely thrown by the occurances in this novel. Just as I thought I knew where it was going... HOLY SHIT. like fall off the bed shock, twists.

The layers to this book are ridiculous, but it works SO well. There are just so many sides to each character. I was in awe of the raw emotion I found in this novel. However, I wasn't really fond of the "Then" chapters. To be honest, I wanted to skip them all together. I just wanted to get back to the story about Ellie and Cam. And.. as every amazing book goes, there is a cliff hanger.  Why must authors make their characters so selfless!? Summer can't come soon enough. I'm dying to know how this is going to play out. 

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I hope you enjoyed our reviews! What did you think about this book?! 

Or... if you haven't read this book, GET TO IT! and tell us what you thought!

Review: Finding Never - C.M. Stunich

Finding Never - C.M. Stunich
♥♥♥♥

First of all... DAMN YOU C.M Stunich!!! WHAT a way to finish a book. I hate cliffhangers. Ok ok, I love them AND I loathe them. I love them, because they're always an amazing ending. I loathe cliffhangers for the obvious reasons. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!? We all know that we want to know RIGHT MEOW. But alas, we have to wait... Finding Never doesn't exactly have a cliffhanger ending, but SO much is left unsaid. Not ot mention the extreme *SQUEE* moment at the very end. Two huge unravelings, left me cursing and anxious for the next and last installment of the trilogy, Keeping Never.

Finding Never is a reunion long overdue with her family and a first love. After the first installment in the trilogy, Never continues her journey to face her demons. Never has a tough journey ahead of her, but is accompanied by the infamous Ty McCabe.

In Tasting Never you get to learn about Never's troubled past and the reason why she is who and what she is. Finding Never not only follows up in Never's story, but gives you a look into Ty's story. Beautifully damaged Ty. Although the journey is still Never's to take... Ty brings such a wonderful addition to the story.

I COMPLETELY devoured this book. I read about 75% of it in one sitting. I would have read the book in its entirety but I fell asleep with my kindle on my chest and a dog covering my legs. [This is how I woke up, too. Except the hubby was now next to me, as well.] I. Can. Not. Wait. for Keeping Never. C.M. Stunich, you've captivated my heart, with this story. I'm speechless, but have an abundant amount of questions that need answering! Keeping Never's release date isn't soon enough. I WANT IT MEOOOOOOOW! 

-Beth

Kindle links:
Tasting Never
Finding Never 

Review: Eden - Jamie McGuire

Eden - Jamie Mcguire

 ♥♥♥♥

 

Jamie McGuire can do no wrong in my eyes. As I don't think Eden deserves a 5 heart review, I'm not sure if I can pinpoint out why. I loved the series in its entirety. The characters were amazing and each one grew in every novel. I'm sad to see this story end, as it was one of my favorites... AND it's set in my home state. :) I think maybe because it took me so long to read Eden... after I read Providence and Requiem back to back, I semi lost interest. I do have to say though, I am completely satisfied with the series.

I'm going to miss the crew. Nina, Jared, Claire, Ryan an especially Bex. I think it's hard for an author to incorporate a mix of the first two novels in a trilogy. Not only does Jamie keep you current on the events happening with everyone, but she also reminds you of your favorite moments in the first two novels.

Eden provides you with the same amount of action packed moments as it does with the romance. You get to see more into Jared and Nina's relationship progression, as well as how they handle things differently now that they've been together. I REALLY loved how much more you see of Bex in this novel. I just love him!

Jared and Nina have been through hell and back, along with Claire, Ryan, Bex and Kim. The final installment delivers a thrilling show down, a budding romance, and some completely tragic moments. Like I said, Jamie can do no wrong. Definitely a beautiful ending to this paranormal romance trilogy. 

 

 -B

Review: Oxford Whispers - Marion Croslydon

Oxford Whispers - Marion Croslydon

♥♥♥♥

I received a copy from the author Marion in exchange for an honest review. Even though it took me a little to get to reading this, I wasn't at all disappointed. Oxford Whispers is not exactly what I expected. This book has the perfect mix of everything. Mystery, Angst, Suspense, Romance, Paranormal, and straight up STEAMY moments! I was a little confused in the beginning chapters, but I quickly got over it and could not put this book down, despite my efforts and need of sleep.

Madison LeBon wants nothing to do with her familys history. She wants a normal life, so she tries her hardest to ignore the paranormal and sets off to Oxford after Yale. Madison thought she had gotten away from it all, until the painting. Visions start happening of the people in the painting, and the woman just won't let her go. Rupert, the sexy Crew guy... sees Madison for the first time and it's all over for him. He has to have her. Rupert just doesn't realize exactly how hard he's gonna have to work to get her, let alone keep her.

This novel has a story within a story. A lot of times that's hard to do. Marion did such a brilliant job transferring from one story to the next. The imagery was fantastic, I felt like I was with Madison, at Oxford. The historical aspect of this story was a beautiful bonus.

Marion really put some work into this novel. The perfect blend of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. Researching the painting [The wounded Calavier by William Shakespeare Burton] and coming up with not one, but two love stories. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out that who I thought was the "bad guy" wasn't, and I did not at all expect it to be who it really was! I seriously can't wait for the release of her next novel in the Trilogy, Oxford Shadows. 

 -B

Purchase links:
Amazon [paperback]
Kindle

Review: The Mist on Brontë Moor - Aviva Orr

The Mist on Brontë Moor - Aviva Orr

♥♥♥♥

 

I found this as a giveaway on Goodreads, and absolutely loved the premise. I entered the contest and while I didn't win, I got an email from the author Aviva [WOOT!] asking if I'd like to read for review. Obviously I said yes, because this novel already piqued my interest!

Who doesn't love the Brontës, especially Emily. The story of the Brontës is fascinating, given the amount of literary talent in the family, as well as the short lived lives of the children and mother. The Mist on Brontë Moor is a brilliant depiction on the young lives of Emily, Charlotte, Anne and Branwell, along with Heather Bell. Aviva Orr did an stunning job weaving fiction and non-fiction together.

Heather has insecurities due to her Alopecia.[The loss of hair, which usually turns out in permanent baldness] Having this disease while being in high school is just not fun, Heather ends up leaving her high school after an incident in class and going to live with her Aunt in the Yorkshire Country. The day after she arrives, she travels into the Moors outside. There is a mist that invades her visibility and she trips and hits her head, falling into the 19th century.

Heather wakes up in the Moors. While trying to find her way back to her new home, she meets Emily. Emily decides to take Heather back to her home where she meets the rest of the Brontë family. Heather finds a love interest in Branwell, who is charming and troubled true to the real man. Aviva did a amazing job entangling the teenage characters to make them true to the actual history, while being fictionalized.


The Mist on Brontë Moor is definitely delivers worthy read. Mixing time travel, romance, history, and suspense. Getting a new take on the Brontë family is refreshing and unique. Although a work of fiction, this story makes you really imagine what it was like for the Brontë family in the 19th century. This novel brings you on a vivid journey to a historical past. I felt as if I was thrown back in time along with Heather, feeling everything that she went through with Emily and Branwell especially.

This is truly a brilliant work of art, by Aviva Orr. I can't wait to see what she puts out next.

-B

Double Review: Shatter Me & Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Since Destroy Me is a novella, and I only have a short review, I decided to create a double review.


Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 340
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Goodreads:
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

------------

“I am unwanted for good reason. My hands can kill people. My hands can destroy everything.”

I've been shying away from the dystopian YA genre for a while now. I just have not been able to get into any of them, nothing seems to hold my attention and I end up being let down. Shatter Me definitely changed that. I dove into this book, and while I was nervous about entering a dystopian land of disappointment, I kept an optimistic mind. What I found was definitely not a disappointment.

“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”

The writing style can be considered either poetic or annoying, depending on the reader. I was completely open to the strikethroughs and 2 3 4 sentences that were always repeating repeating repeating. For me, the perfect punctuation and sentence structure isn't as important as the story. Don't get me wrong, when a sentence makes no sense it takes away from the experience, but that's not the case for this book. Tahereh Mafi took a risk, and I think it paid off.


Juliette has been locked up for 264 days. This makes her a little bit of an unstable character. I formed a tight bond with her from the beginning. She's been neglected, unloved, and alone her entire life. She was told from a very early age that she's a monster, and after a terrible accident she begins to believe it's true. She sees herself as a monster, with a curse. Her progression through the book is great.
“It's not what you think.”

At first I wasn't feeling Adam. I wasn't sure what his angle was, but as his plan become more evident I fell for him. His dedication and love for Juliette made me forever Team Adam[no matter how likable Warner becomes].

“Possessive is not a strong enough word for Warner.”

Warner... He's a golden haired, green eyed murderer who is completely obsessed with Juliette. Your circumstances are not to blame for your actions, I just can't see it that way. [See my Destroy Me review below for more about Warner]
“Because we're not the same. I want to be better.” - Juliette's thoughts on being the same as Warner.

Another great thing about this book is the slight twist. I was completely surprised because nothing leading up to the revelation even hinted to it. I love when someone can surprise me. This book, as a whole, surprised me. I was apprehensive about reading Shatter Me, even after meeting Tahereh Mafi[did I not brag about this yet!?], but I am so happy I did.


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Title: Destroy Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages:103
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 3 out of 5

From Goodreads:
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

---------

No amount of making things sound better will make me love Warner. I'm sorry, I just can't.

So things might not have been what we thought they in Shatter Me, I figured that was coming. Was I softened a teeny bit? Yes. Who wouldn't be? But definitely not enough to make me jump on Team Warner and hope that Juliette will leave Adam. I feel sorry for Warner, sure, but I can't excuse his horrid behavior. Let's be honest, no amount of playing with puppies is going to make Warner a good person.

Some rise about their situations, like Juliette, and stay true and good. Some feed off of it and become something not so good, like Warner. His father's abuse has forever fucked up his head, and his singular love for Juliette is not going to cure him.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I enjoyed getting to know Warner better. I found him very interesting, despite my aversion to him.


And just because I can, check out that handwriting! 

-Kait

Before I blogged Review: Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

Before I blogged:

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

♥♥♥♥
 

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.”

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of the most different books I've ever read. Ransom Riggs delivers a creepy, sensational, mind blowing read.

Jacob has grown up listening to his grandfather’s tales of his childhood years living in an orphanage with Peculiar children on an island of the coast of Wales. He stopped believing his grandfather's stories long ago. Until his grandfather is attacked and dies by a mysterious monster in basically in front of Jacob. His grandfather’s dying words cause him to go in search of this mysterious island and to find the abandoned orphanage while on a trip with his father.

I loved how Ransom incorporated all of the vintage photographs into the story. I really enjoyed the pictures, because when I had trouble making a mental picture of what I was reading, I had the actual photo's to help my imagination along. The premise of this was excellent and completely original. The stories that the children tell are amazing, and the journey that Jacob takes with the peculiar children is phenomenal. He learns things he never thought he would, on an adventure he never thought he'd take. 

-B Vixen

Review: Reached - Ally Condie

Reached - Ally Condie

 ♥♥♥
 

"You can not change your journey if you are unwilling to move at all."
 

My feelings about Reached can be summed up in just one word. 

Conflicted: Opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of emotional tension and thought to be responsible for neuroses.
   

I think I got my hopes up too high for the last installment in the Matched trilogy. I'd love to say that I wasn't disappointed, but I was. I really enjoyed Matched, was happy with Crossed, but Reached... it just didn't reach me. Ally Condie is a fabulous writer, but it feels like she got bored with this series and had nothing left to put into it. For me, Reached was very slow, and very wordy.

I liked the multiple points of view, however... the only character that made any impression on me is Xander. Ky doesn't really make much of an appearance in this installment... [Go figure, based on Crossed.] As for Cassia, I just couldn't connect with her. I also liked that Indie had a little more of a role in this book. I also enjoyed the parts that weren't within the Provinces. The camp outside the outer Provinces was probably my favorite part of the book.

Don't get me wrong, I liked Reached, it was a good conclusion to the series, but I just think Ally Condie could have got to the point a lot faster. An over abundance of information, just left me feeling like it was a chore to finish the book. In Matched and Crossed I was pretty sure who I sided with for the love interest for Cassia. Reached totally got me thinking again though. Again, the word Conflicted comes into play.

Writing a review for this is kinda hard, without spoilers. I really love Ally Condie's writing style, and Reached is just as well written as her first two novels, if not better written. I want to give it a better review, but if I'm to be honest... I can't. A lot of elements came into play in the first two novels, and the action in them was great. Reached was lacking in that department. I hope that others don't feel the same as I do about this novel, and can enjoy he ending of this series. I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed with the BOOK or with MYSELF for not liking it. Again... CONFLICTED!

Review & GIVEAWAY: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Pages: 321
Rating: 5 stars


There's a place few know about. A place where the dead don't rest in coffins, but on shelves. This place is the Archive. There are Librarians to read the Histories[the dead], and Keepers to catch them if they escape. Mackenzie has been trained by her Da to be a Keeper from a very young age. Now, years after Da's death, Mackenzie's family is moving to start fresh after her little brother dies. In a new territory, Mac's skills as a Keeper are tested. More and more Histories are finding their way into the Narrows, and Mac is going to find out the truth. Even if that means going against everything Da taught her.
Let's start with the prologue, which is my favorite part of most of my favorite books. Sorry if that seems confusing, but seriously, the prologue in this book amazing. One of the best I've ever read. Here are the first few lines:

“The Narrows remind me of August nights in the South. They remind me of old rocks and places where the light can't reach. They remind me of smoke-the stale, settled kind-and of storms and damp earth.”

Isn't that amazing? I was so absorbed into the story after just those first few lines. The imagery in this book is amazing. People are shelved after they die, so essentially people become books, or Histories, that can be read. I've never read a book quite like this one, and I appreciate how hard it is to produce something new, something completely fresh when most YA books follow the same formula. This book is about Mackenzie being a Keeper first, then there's the [potential]relationship second. I loved that. This isn't another story where the amazing new world story is overshadowed by some over the top love story. The descriptions throughout are so damn good, I felt like I was right there with Mac. I was chasing the Histories, skulking through the creepy Narrows, and turning the key to meet the bright white light of the Returns.

A lot of my favorite moments were flashbacks between Mackenzie and her Da. She struggled with doing what she thought was right and following what Da trained her to do. Mackenzie was such an awesome heroine. She was tough, compassionate, smart, and flawed. Oh, how I love a flawed character.

Let's talk about guyliner. Yes, guyliner. I loved Wesley. I loved his relaxed, somewhat cocky, attitude. I didn't quite get to the book boyfriend level, but there was something so damn right about him. I just felt really invested in him.

I loved everything about this book. The lone complaint I have is that perhaps it could have been longer, but I don't even know if I actually feel that way. It's not the size of the book, but the contents within the book, right? If that's true[which I think it is] then I guess I really have no complaints.

Some of my favorite quotes:


“Because the only way to truly record a person is not in words, not in still frames, but in bone and skin and memory.”

"It's a shame they do that," he says, thumbing through the pages. "Requirement ruins even the best of books.”

“Mom may be able to power a city, but Dad barely stays lit.”

Bottom line: This book is entertaining, thought provoking, fresh, and completely amazing.


And now to the GIVEAWAY!!!

This giveaway is open for any country that The Book Depository will ship to. If you're not sure if they ship to you, please check by clicking the link above.

To win, just enter the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

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Review: Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

Title: Dear Cassie
Author: Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: 3/5/13
Pages: 352
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if.
My Thoughts:

I received this advanced copy in return for an honest review. This has not influenced my review in any way.

Dear Cassie was a good story. I didn't read Pretty Amy, the [first]companion book, before but I found that I didn't need to. The book is written as Cassie's “Assessment Diary” at Turning Pines. The events that brought her there are explained well, without feeling like a bunch of info dumping.

Cassie was very easy to like. Her no nonsense attitude reminded me of myself. She was kind of harsh at times, but she felt it necessary to stay guarded.. Cassie was definitely my favorite part of the book, and everything else besides her journey faded into the background.

Pretty much everyone other than Cassie was a secondary character, even Ben, the love interest of the story. I found the weak relationships a little off putting. I usually like a fair amount of romance and friendships. The friendship that Cassie developed with Troyer, one of her cabin mates, spoke volumes. Troyer, who is mute by choice, is the only one that Cassie feels comfortable talking to in her cabin. Nez, the other cabin mate, loves getting under Cassie's skin. They both try to out-bitch each other, which got a little bit annoying. Ben was an okay love interest, considering he wasn't really much of an interest to Cassie. She did whatever she could to push him away[and once I realized why it was kind of understandable]. Ben was relentless in his pursuit of Cassie, but their relationship still fell kind of flat for me. I didn't really feel like Cassie fell in love with Ben at all.

This book made me think about the mistakes I've made and the things that I've kept hidden inside. I definitely enjoyed the journey and progression of Cassie, and it made up the best parts of the book. I felt that the relationships could have been better, and the secondary characters could have been more developed.

Overall, I enjoyed Dear Cassie. I look forward to reading more books by this author, and I would definitely like to read about what happens to Cassie after Turning Pines.

-Kait

Before I Blogged Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Title: Flat-Out Love
Author: Jessica Park
Pages: 391
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
To college freshman Julie Seagle the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family of Boston add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Only the funny, gorgeous, smart oldest brother Finn is emotionally available--but only online? Not until Julie forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.






I wrote this before I reviewed on the blog, so don't judge too harshly!


My Thoughts:You can look back now and see how you should have known, but you were focusing on the facts instead of the feeling.

This book was amazing. It was completely different from any other YA novel I've read, which is hard to do now-a-days. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. The facebook statuses were funny and witty. I was apprehensive about the emails & chats at first, but the transitions were seamless.

Flat Finn... I don't even know what to say about him. I started to think of FF as a "him" and not an "it" as the book progressed. I guess that was Celeste rubbing off on me.

Julie was a character I felt like I could relate to. I've often felt like I'm a "fixer", so I could definitely understand her need to help the Watkins family.

I fell in love with Matt, and all of his geeky shirt wearing tendencies. He's the kind of guy I hope I fall in love with someday.

Celeste was awesome. I was so entranced by her. She super smart, quirky, and unlike any other thirteen year old. She carries around Flat Finn like a security blanket and hardly leaves the house except to go to school. Celeste has the most growth in the story, and I found her to be the most interesting character.

Finn... what can I say about him. He's mysterious. That's all I can say without giving away everything.

Bottom line: This book is an original in a world of too many YA copycats. It's a definite must read.

-Kait

Review: To Stand Beside Her - B. Kristin McMichael

To Stand Beside Her - B. Kristin McMichael

 ♥♥♥♥♥

I was lucky enough to receive this book for an honest review by the Author, B. Kristin McMichael. I don't think I could have loved this book any more than I did. My heart literally still hurts, from reading this. The story was brilliant and beautiful, and so amazingly well wrote. I instantly fell in love with the characters and went on an epic journey with them. I felt so emotionally vested with the characters in To Stand Beside Her.

Leila is a courier, and strives to be the best courier that she can be. Living in the North lands is great for her, no one can find her... and that's exactly how she wants it. Leila is strikingly beautiful, smart, funny, and every countries King wants her for himself. Until the day that her best friend Kay gets caught. Leila being the self sacrificing person that she is goes to rescue her best friend. While rescuing her, she gets herself caught. Freeing both Kay and herself wasn't much of an issue though, until Kay got caught again escaping from the prison. Leila then makes herself get "caught" again by the palace's gaurds. Upon reentering the palace, she meets King Nalick. Leila thinks she knows all about this King, but she could never be so wrong...

King Nalick, He has a reputation for being pretty ...mean. Leila thinks she has him pegged, until she gets to know him. In honor to free her best friend Kay, she agrees to a deal to marry King Nalick, and also agrees not to escape the kingdom. Nalick held up his end of the agreement, and then some. Nalick basically doted on Leila, making Leila [and myself] fall completely in love with him. Which is something she thought would never happen again.

Nalick will forever be one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. He was always surprising Leila with his kindness, and would go to the end of the earth to protect her. Leila will probably be one of my all time favorite Book heroines, as well.

The depth of the all characters and their interactions with eachother, blew my mind. Finishing this book was probably one of the saddest moments, but happiest moments. Bittersweet is definitely not a strong enough word for this novel. B. Kristin McMichael made me laugh, smile, cringe, and cry. Several times while reading this book I had to set it down, and take a minute to collect myself because of the potency of her words. The ending was phenomenal. Everything weaved together perfectly. Albeit I wasn't exactly happy about how it ended, it pulled the book together so fiercely and perfectly. I can't wait to read what B. Kristin publishes next. Amazing Amazing Amazing novel. A definite must read for anyone who loves strong female characters, or fantasy, or even just a love story. Once you pick this up, you'll be so grateful that you did! [Just be sure to have your tissues ready, cause this was a heartwrencher!!!]

-Beth

*Links to purchase To Stand Beside Her*

Amazon [Paperback]

Kindle Edition 

 

Smashwords

Available in: 

 EPub, PDF, LRF, RTF, and PDB

Barnes and Noble [Paperback] 

Review: Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

♥♥♥♥♥+

 

 **I know Kait just did a review of Hopeless back in december, but - I wanted to write a review for this remarkable book as well. -B **


"The sky is always beautiful. Even when it's dark or rainy or cloudy, it's still beautiful to look at. It's my favourite thing because I know if I ever get lost or lonely or scared, I just have to look up and it'll be there no matter what...and I know it'll always be beautiful."

Nothing can possibly disclose on what an incredible, intense, emotional experience reading Hopeless was. I don't even think words can describe Hopeless. I understood why people were saying it was the best book of 2012, I mean.. DUH it's Colleen Hoover. I didn't need any more of an explanation. I bought this, and saved it for a bit so that I could just open it up on a whim and start reading. There isn't a single thing about this book that I didn't love. It was awe-inspiring, breathtaking, fantastic and poignant at the same time... drawing you in like a magnet. Colleen Hoover's amazing writing style and words were so beautiful and one perfectly chosen for the right moments. Hopeless is a book that will stay with you for very long time.

The characters couldn't have been any better. Sky was angsty with reason, completely shell shocked, and completely adorable. Her mom Karen kept her pretty well secluded from life, until her senior year of high school, when she begged and pleaded to go to public schools, after being home schooled for 13 years. Holder [Jesus christ, where can I get me one of these!?] is known to be a bad boy in town. You know the type, sexy and disturbed. The first time he see's sky he instantly knows there's something about her that's different. Bricken and Six are the 2 best friends of Sky, and are probably the BEST supporting characters I've ever read.

Holder is so deeply in-tuned with her that he needs everything to be absolutely perfect. Both Sky and Holder have to face many horrible things from their past, but they do so together, falling in love and supporting each other during tough times. The connection between Sky and Holder is intense. Colleen makes you feel that intensity in so that everything about their connection makes perfect sense. And even though their connection is instant and undeniable, it's a slow and retaining build. He was all about first with Sky, Until he was about forevers.

This book makes you feel. Embracing every moment in the book; from the first page to the very last. Getting a sneak peak at an intense moment from the end of the book, in the beginning... makes it impossible to put down. You think you know what's coming, but you have NO IDEA. I've never been so completely shocked, by a book in my life. After every page, I just kept saying Holy shit. I mean this book is INTENSE. The issues are real, and heart-wrenching. No matter how intense the story got, there was always a reason to smile and a few times giggle. Especially if it was a message from Holder about how horrible Sky is [You know, to deflate her ego given to her from Six]. That being said, if you don't read this, please just slap your own face for me! I will totally beg and plead for someone to read this... JUST so I can talk to someone about the undeniable epicness of this read. No matter what year you decide to read this, I guarantee it will be a definite in your top 5 of the entire year, if not forever list!
 -Beth